Remote access through VPN to local storage on Android app

[rlpjsh]

Is anyone able to access local storage outside their LAN through a VPN (without port forwarding) using the Android Arlo app? I have no problem accessing local storage when on my LAN but am unable to access when outside through VPN. I have verified that my Android VPN connection is functioning correctly.
[My iPad Arlo app is able to access local storage outside my LAN through VPN without issue. The problem is with the Android app. (Feature request to Arlo: Access local storage through the web on my.arlo.com with thumbnails!)]
I am using a Netgear R6700v3, OpenVPN, No-IP DDNS.
If you are able to access local storage outside your LAN using the Android app without port forwarding, please share your setup, thanks.

[JamesC]

The SmartHub firmware release addressing this issue is now available. Please test again and let us know if you're still experiencing this issue.

To verify you have the latest firmware version, check here: https://community.arlo.com/t5/Firmware-Release-Notes/bd-p/arlo-release-notes?cid=a

JamesC

[JonTelling]

Not working for me either.

I would have expected an app update as well given it will be locating the hub differently...

🙂

1.17.1.2_1090_0e6c162

VMB4540r2

[Djaboloke_]

Same, no option for local over VPN

[dcfox1]

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@Jerry_L wrote:
My device is still at level 1090 and when I go to check for firmware updates it says none are available... How do I update to the latest firmware for the VPN fix?

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Do you have the VMB4540? the latest is 1090oe6c162. The VMB5000 is different. 

Arlo SmartHub VMB4540 - 1.17.1.2_1090_0e6c162 - 28... - Arlo Community

[pjama]

 Thanks for looking into this although I can confirm this update has not fixed the issue for me either.

Firmware 1.17.1.2_1157_0e6c162

Hardware VMB5000r4

App Version 3.5.13_28425 on Android 10 on Galaxy S9+ using an IPSec VPN into Asus router.

While my phone is connected to the home wireless network I CAN get to the videos stored on the SD card. It's been a while since I used it but I never noticed the thumbnail for downloaded videos before. If it's new: well done, thanks.

When I connect via IPSec VPN, the app tries to download the list of videos from the base station but after about 10 seconds it comes up with the usual blah, blah blah, Try Again. I've got everything routed via the VPN and I can get to both internet and local/home network when it's on so I know it works.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: There's a lot of smart people in this forum who'd only be too willing to help but we've got nothing to go on. How does this even work? Does it broadcast, scan for ports, DNS lookup, connectivity info from portal? "SmartHub firmware release addressing this issue is now available" really doesn't help us to help you to help us get what we paid for. I can run tcpdump on my router to see traffic between my phone and the base station but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack as I have no idea what I'm looking for.

Cheers

P

[jguerdat]

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@ryans27 wrote:

Still not showing local storage icon on my Ultra 2 cameras through OpenVPN.

Android 12, Pixel 4

FW: 1.17.1.2_1157_0e6c162

VMB5000r6

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I see the same thing on my Pixel 5. No pulldown to switch to the local recordings. @JamesC 

[Ummie]

Still no change. The choice between cloud or local storage will not show up using vpn out of home. 

[JamesC]

A fix for this issue has been deployed. This fix should be automatic for those who already have local storage set up. If you're still experiencing an issue, try logging out and logging back in to your mobile app and try again.

Thanks,

JamesC

[Baconneggs15]

Still failing here. Can access other servers fine. Arlo local videos still not accessible for me through OpenVPN.

Pixel 4
Vmb5000r6
1.17.12_1157

[jguerdat]

Same here on my Pixel 6 using the OpenVPN connection to my Netgear router. There's no ability to select the local recordings.

[ryans27]

Any update here @JamesC? Or at least any upcoming functionality to access local files via web (my.arlo.com) through VPN?

[werzeric]

Hi,

This so-called fix is not a fix: it simply does not work...

No way to download to my Pixel 5 via OpenVPN the videos recorded on my hubs (whether it is a 4540 or a 5000).

And yes: my hubs are up to date with the latest firmware.

This "VPN" option is documented/advertised by Arlo as the recommended & safe alternative to "port forwarding" and somehow I paid for it to work!

Looking at the other posts about this issue (some are now quiet two years old) and the annoying message (praising cloud storage) that pops up every time I try to select download from my SD, I wonder if it is not Arlo's will to force our hand to subscribe to "cloud" storage, the cost of which is prohibitive - to say the least!!!

If there is a real technical challenge or even impossible to make this option work under Android (allow me to doubt it), then dear Mr. Arlo : say it simply and clearly because we are able to understand.

Cheers;

Eric

[DonThomaso]

Waiting too - since 2 Years for now. It's one of ugliest experience I 've ever made. Pure waste of time for merely blah blah blah

[kevharper]

So after over 2 years there it's still not possible to connect to local storage over a VPN using the Android app?   Did Arlo lie to us to preserve their subscription revenue?

[jguerdat]

Depends on how the VPN is set up and which app you're using. AFAIK, the Android app still doesn't work with OpenVPN which is what Netgear routers use. Apparently the iOS app works fine.

[kevharper]

Yes, it seems like an app issue to me as users have tried to get it to work on a VPN for years  with no success or help from Arlo (according to google searching).

[og1]

Can someone from Arlo please comment on this issue? It seems there are a number of users all experiencing the same issue with no response from Arlo. I have invested a significant amount of money in Arlo with the expectation that a basic vpn setup from an Android phone would work.

- Have you been able to reproduce the problem?

- If not, what is your exact setup?

- If yes, do you intend to resolve it? When?

Thanks

[Djaboloke_]

I gave up and went to the competition. Arlo is a joke...

[og1]

I just confirmed that with the EXACT same setup, accessing local storage works over vpn works fine from an iphone but does not work from android. Both the app and firmware are all latest.

[Ummie]

Finally local storage is accessible with vpn on Android. (using Wireguard) 

[pjama]

@Ummie 

> Finally local storage is accessible with vpn on Android. (using Wireguard) 

Can you elaborate on that just a little please?

On what platform? Router or linux based FW?

Networking? Same or different subnet to your LAN?

[jguerdat]

Netgear uses OpenVPN which seemed to be the problem although there may well have been others. My Netgear RAXE300 works fine using OpenVPN now with the new app and UI. No idea if the old UI also works now.

[Ummie]

Using built-in Wireguard on Asus router. WG uses its own subnet which differs from LAN subnet

[pjama]

oh, oh, I have it working! Not sure if it's the latest app or my messing with the VPN again but it's working for me now.

I thought I'd tried everything previously but maybe not. I'm using an IPSec VPN on an asus RT-ac86U router (not all have ipsec vpn capability) but this time I set routing to send all traffic down the VPN ie use route 0.0.0.0/0. I can't seem to see this capability in OpenVPN so it's probably custom config you can set somewhere. A standard VPN would use split tunnelling to only route your home VLAN destined traffic via the VPN and everything else direct to the internet. Your Arlo base station IS on your home VLAN so not sure why it wouldn't send that via the VPN with split tunnelling.

The best test to confirm all traffic is going down the VPN from the client to your router is using whatismyipaddress.com from you LAN and checking you get the same address using your client when the VPN is up.

Thanks for renewing my interest in the VPN though 🙂

[bww129]

I've been messing with VPN stuff for a couple days now and no luck getting it to work with an Asus RT-AX router and VMB5000 SmartHub. I was just looking into configuring the router as an OpenVPN server when I saw your post about WireGuard. Low and behold the newer firmware on the Asus routers allows you to configure a WireGuard VPN server. It took all of a couple minutes to get it setup on the router, downloaded the WireGuard app for Android, scanned the QR code to connect the app (phone) to the server (router), and the video clips are now available in the Storage Settings of the VMB5000 device on the app! I confirmed that this worked without port forwarding (turned off on the router, status comes up as not available in the port forwarding menu of the app) and off the local network (turned phone wifi off, was on cell network).

This was by far the simplest way to get the thing to work...

See Asus instructions for setting up WireGuard VPN server - https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1048280